Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-07-07
FOUND GUILTY.
Inc Case Against Jake Sharpe, in New
York, Ended by a Verdict of Guilty as
Charged, with a Recommendation to
Mercy.

Inc Case Against Jake Sharpe, in New
. York. Ended by a Verdict of Guilty a.
Charged, with a Recommendation tt
: Mercy.
NEW YORK, June 3)-After Mr.. Stick
ney had finished summing up for the de-
tense in the Sharpe trial yesterday, re
cess was taken until two O'Clock.
Colonel Fellows began his address to
the jury after recess. He said that he
: | would only trespass on the iury's time
long enough to fairly present the case, in
| consequence of their long confinement.
Fullgraff, if tainted witness, has told his
story, and Waite has told of rampant cor
| ruption, but no doubtful or tainted eyi.
dence is that OF the defense, through
their counsel, and the counsel have con.
coded that the aldermen were thieves.
The Calvanistic doctrine has been adduced
that they were always corrupt, and that
like Topsy, they were born 50. l am not
here to criticise the theology of the defense
or the case; but who was this Rudolph
Fullgraff who gave this tainted testimc-
nyf man honored and respected up to
| DIS fall. What was it that occurred in
That board that has driven him out of the
respectable society of honest manl Who
dares charge Alderman O'Connor or
Alderman Grant, now our sheriff, with
any wrong-doing. Their political repu-
| tatlon was won where Fullgraff's was
going on to carry the public detestation
on the heads of the other twenty-five.
| But what was it? This was the one sub
Ject matter before us that has brou ght
| down on them the public condemnation,
| sent some of them scurrying across the
| border, and has lodged others of them in
| Sing Sing. If they were bribe1, in whose
interest was ita Only in that of the
| Broadway franchise. This defendant
| m ct nd Of ho
| passed the bill that gave them power to
| act.
! The speaker then referred t. the many
| appearances of Sharpe in Albany, and
| the lobbyist Phelps, who was counted in
| on the deal. He got ten shares of stock
for nothing but when the thing went
| through he walked down to Scribner's
| Office and got SD, 900 for his service at Al
| bany.
Mr.. Fellows then traced the case
through the Legislature and the General
Term Commission down to the special
meeting OF the aldermen, which he said
was the closing point, as without their
action every effort up to that time was,
or rather would prove, simply abortive.
The meetings at McLaughlin's house
were also carefully gone over in detail.
The proposition to put up half million
OF dollars, he said, came from Jaehne.
Not wishing to trust the de-
PENDANT they chose a stakeholder in
the person of Keenan,. Mr.. Fellows dwelt
upon the arrangement TO issue the bonds
of the road Haste was required, and
why? Because the money had been raised
and ready for the aldermen, who refused
to go further until the money was in the
hands of keenan,, the stakeholder The
bonds We're issued for increasing the
facilities of the road, and when they had
purchased twenty-five aldermen they
found their facilities were largely in.
creased. What has become of the funda
1t was raised in bills ranging from $1,000
down to 800. This vast fortune has dis i
appeared as thoroughly as if it al been |
cast IN to the fire.
Judge Barrett then arose to charge the !
jury. He began by saying that this was
the first time in the history of our juris-
prudence when man had been made to
face the charge of giving a b"ibe. Both
to give and receive brides were crimes, !
SAID His Honor. The bribe-yiver had an
Advantages mouopoly-over
the party who honestly applies for legis.
lative action. The result is that pure and
honest men can obtain no relief, and cor.
ruption is born. He read the law on
bribery, and went on to say that the only
direct evidence that money had been
given was that one DeL1cey had giveD
money. 1t was not necessary that the.
person charged gave the money with his
own hand, or made the corrupt agreement
IN accordance with the laws of contract.
But if there was an unders standing |
he other was to give bride,
,her the crime was in commits sion,
whether directly CT indirectly, personally
'r by agents, assisted or abatetT, however
'emotely, in the commission Of this crime, :
he guilt is established. DeLscey is the
ountain head, and all who are proven to t
,e connected near to or far from the ,
oun tain head are guilty. If DeEacey re-
eived the money from Rich noond and |
sichmCnd again from Sharpe; then l
sharpe IS guilty. If Sharpe had guilty |
nowled ge of the scheme and assisted, or t
bette5 in any way, he'i5 guilty II the f
ury finds that he is connected with the !
rfbery by either of the ways specified
hey must find him guilty..
Judge Barrett proceeded to anaIyso Fall ! t
raffs evidence, and the testimony in /
orroboration thereto. The Court deemed +
and direct testimony, \
sing Sharpe's visit to Albany in 1854 as
n Illustration. 1t had been shown that I
e was there laboring to- get the passage L
the General Railroad law. It, was
assed. and Immediately the Broadway :.
Dad filed its articles of incorporation. :,
[r- Sharpe WAS one OF the incorpura ors.
mere was clfcumStantEi1 cVlQeHC9'1rOm
hitch jury might infer that when =
harpe lahore for tae' passage of the @
eneral Railroad at, he had in view tho !,
,heme of roadway surface track.
ere Mr.. Phelps testifiss directly that Z
harpe told him that that was his object. II
After reviewing the evidence in detail n
ldge Barrett said: eff you find that r
ulgraff was bribeta- and that $500, 600 :,
as raised by Kerr and Forshay with the L
of Sharpe, and you come to 4
10 conclusion that that SUM was not v
aised for the purposes which appear on n
lie books of the road, and that that sum n
eally went to the CORFU ption OF the Board !,
Aldermen, you must find him gailty.
you believe that Kerr and Forshay did o
MS, and concealed it from Mr.. Sharpe &
ecause of their own interest, and y
the greater benefits =,
'hich Mr.. Sharpe was to reap from it,
nd Mr.. Sharpe was ignorant, then you i
lust acQuit him. There is abundant evil
ence to draw your conclusions from" ]
After further instructing the jury as to "
he law, Judge Barrett closed, and the !
nry retired. In thirteen minutes they re-
urned with a verdict of ''guilty'i as "
harged, with y recommend ltion "a (
lercy. Sentence was deferred. r
Badly Scorched.